Lottery games and instant win tickets are known to provide one or more potentially winnable prizes in the event a player makes a match with a winning number, symbol or series of numbers or symbols. For example, a Bingo lottery ticket is provided with a grid with individual indicia in each distinct area of the grid. The Bingo lottery ticket further provides a set of “called” numbers. The player can mark the grid indicia corresponding to the called numbers, and if the player matches all of the indicia in a pre-established pattern, such as along a row, column or diagonal line, then the player wins. As another example, a crossword-type game can be provided on a ticket, where a player receives one or more “player” letters that can be uncovered on a crossword grid in order to form words. In such crossword-type games, prizes can be awarded based on the number of words formed in the grid. In some embodiments, the grid is populated with a set of words with a scratch-off coating atop each letter in the words. The scratch-off coating can be transparent, translucent or potentially an array of opaque elements that permit the user to see the underlying indicia such that, when the scratch-off layer is removed, the player can visually tell the difference between scratched-off areas and areas that have not been scratched off. Such a screen of opaque elements is described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0045026 to Napolitano et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Lottery game players are often motivated to play games that appear to offer a greater number of potential wins. In many ticket games, for example, players are given one or maybe two potential chances to win at a matching game. Even in a crossword-type game with a seven-by-seven grid and eighteen player letters, a low number of potential ways to win can be a limiting factor in player appeal and sales. There can further be a natural space limit on lottery tickets that hinders the ability to represent too many features or game elements.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a lottery game system, product and method addressing the above and related problems.